Electrical conductor plug



July 7, 1 97() 1 R MOSLEY 3,519,980

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR PLUG Filed March 11, 1968 rro QNEYS United StatesPatent O 3,519,980 ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR PLUG Jack R. Mosley, St. Louis,Mo., assignor to Mosley Electronics Company, St. Louis, Mo., acorporation of Missouri Filed Mar. 11, 1968, Ser. No. 712,050 Int. Cl.H01r 13/58, 33/06 U.S. Cl. 339-105 5 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Anelectrical conductor plug having separable body components for retaininghollow conductor prongs. Conductor wires extend into the prongs to makeelectrical connections and are held in place by the clamping action ofthe separable body parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In this electrical conductor plug, aplug body comprises a cap having a recess in its lower end for receivinga base insert, A plurality of conductor prongs extend through openingsin the base insert. There are enlarged heads or shoulders at the upperends of the prongs enabling them to be clamped in place when the baseinser-t is tightened into the recess in the cap. The lupper ends of theprongs extend into recesses formed in the cap. Wire conductors extendinto openings in the upper ends of the prongs and are tightly clamped inplace by the tightening of the base insert into the cap. The recesses inthe cap into which the prongs extend cause the wires to be turned in aplurality of directions for more positive clamping action.

The construction eliminates the need for connecting the wires bysoldering or by terminal lugs, and yet, the connections of the wires aretight. Also, the plug can be easily assembled and disassembled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. l is a bottom plan view of theelectrical conductor plug.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the electrical conductor plug.

FIG. 3 is a view in section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a View in section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view in section taken along the line 5-5 of FIG.l.

FIG 6 is a top plan view of the base insert.

FIG. 7 is a rear elevation view of the cap.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view in longitudinal medial section through aconductor prong.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view similar to the view of FIG. 5, butshowing a modified form of the electrical conductor plug.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Two forms of the plug areillustrated and described. However, it will be understood that differentplug configurations having different numbers of prongs may incorporatethe concepts of this invention. The electrical conductor plug 20comprises a cap 21 having a top wall 22, side walls 23 and 24, a frontwall 25 and a back wall 26. There is a well 27 extending upwardly fromthe bottom wall 28. The well 27 is of generally a rectanguar crosssection with a at upper surface 29. An opening 30 in the back wall 26 ofthe cap 21 communicates with the well 27.

There are recesses 31, 32 and 33 in the cap 21 extending upwardly fromthe upper wall 29 of the well 27. The

3,519,980 Patented July 7, 1970 Mice number of receses 31, 32 and 33will vary with the number of prongs used for the particular conductorplug 20. There is also a hole 34 extending upwardly from the upper wall29 of well 27.

A base insert 37 has a top wall 38, a bottom wall 39, side walls 40 and41, a front wall 42, and a back wall 43. A recess 44 is formed in theupper rear edge of the base insert 37. There are countersunk holes 45,46 and 47 through the base insert, the countersunk hole formationproviding a recessed shoulder 48 surrounding the upper end of each hole45, 46 and 47. There is another bore 50 through the base insert 37 witha countersunk recess 51 at its lower end. The base insert 37 is held inplace by a self-tapping screw 52 extending through the hole 50 andthreaded into the hole 34.

There are a plurality of conductor prongs 55, 56 and 57 extendingthrough the holes 45, 46 and 47 of the base insert 37. Each conductorprong may be shaped like the conductor prong 55 illustrated in FIG. `8with a fully or partially hollow cylindrical body 59 extending betweenupper and lower ends 60 and 61. Of course, any other shape for theprongs 45, 46 and 47 is possible. The upper end 60 has an opening 62through it. The lower end 61 may also have an opening 63 through it. Anoutwardly turned annular rib or shoulder 64 extends about thecircumference of the body 59 in a plane spaced slightly below the upperend 60 of the prong 55 so that the upper end portion 60 above theannular rib or shoulder 64 provides a head for the prong.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the prongs 55, 56 and 57 extend within theholes 45, 46 and 47 with their shoulders 64 resting upon the recessshoulders 48 of the body insert 37. In these positions, the heads 60 ofthe prongs above their shoulders 64 project into the recesses 31, 32 and33. It will be noted that the radius of each prong 55, 56 and 57 is lessthan the radius of each recess 31, 32 and 33 by an amount approximatelyequal to the diameter of a conductor wire lead.

In the conductor plug 20 illustrated, a lead 66 of the kind used forconnecting television antennas is used. This lead 66 has two wireconductors 67 and 68 separated and covered with insulation 69. As shownin FIGS. 4 and 5, the insulated portion 69 of the lead 66 extends intothe space between the upper wall 29 of the well 27 and the slot 44 inthe base insert 37. Beyond the insulated portion 69, the ends 70 and 71of the wires 67 and 68 are extended and inserted into the opening 62 ofthe prongs 55 and 57. As FIGS. 4 and 5 show, when the screw 52 istightened, the wire ends 70 and 71 are tightly clamped between the upperends 60 of the prongs 55 and 57 and the recesses 31 and 33. Since thethickness of the wire ends 70 and 71 constitute the only obstaclebetween the cap 21 and the base insert 37, and since the wire ends areforced around the heads 60 of the prongs, tightening of the screw 52positively locks the wires in electrical contact with the prongs, Thecontrol prong 56 is an orientation prong, as is conventional.

FIG. 9 illustrates a modication of the invention and fis typical of manymodifications that are possible. The plug of FIG. 9 has the same generalcomponents as the plug 20 except that there are channels 81 and -82 inthe cap 21 communicating with the recesses 31 and 33. A lead 83 extendsthrough an opening 84 through the cap 21. The insulated portions 85 and86 of the wires extend in the channels 81 and 82, and the bared wireends 87 and 88 extend through the holes 62 into the pins 55 and 57.Again, tightening of the screw 52 clamps the 'wires and pins tightly inplace.

It is apparent that either the plug 20 or the plug -80 can be assembledor disassembled by removing the screw 52. It is also apparent that theprongs S5-57 may be interchangeable for dilerent plug constructions, andthe rnumber of prongs used will vary dependin-g upon the number of wiresof or upon the orientation of the plug.

Various changes and modications may be made within 'the purview of thisinvention as will be readily apparent rto those skilled in the art. Suchchanges and -modicartions are 'within the scope and teaching of thisinvention las dened by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical conductor plug having removable prongs and means forautomatically holding a conductor wire in electrical contact with theprongs and automati- Ically positioning the conductor within the plug torelieve strain on the wire Where it is received in the prong, said lplugcomprising a cap and an insert, the insert having at Ileast one opening,the cap having a well Ifor receiving the insert, at least one conductorprong having means for receiving an electrical conductor wire at theupper end of the prong, the prong having an annular shoulder spacedbelow the upper end of the prong, the prong having an lelongated lbodyportion below the annular shoulder for 'extending through the opening inthe insert, a recess in fthe cap opposite the opening in the insert, therecess lbeing defined by a top wall and an annular side Wall, the fupperend of the prong extending into the recess so that fthe walls of therecess surround and extend below the mpper end of the prong where theelectrical conductor lwire is secured, the clearance between the upperend of the prong and the walls of the recess being slightly smaller thanthe diameter of the electrical conductor wire, and uneans to tighten theinsert against the cap, whereby the 'wire is wedged between the walls ofthe recess and the upper end of the prong into electrical contact withthe "prong y2. The electrical conductor plug of claim 1 wherein ftheopening in the insert has an annular recess shoulder surrounding theupper end of the opening for seating the annular shoulder of the prong.

3.* The electrical conductor plug of claim 1 wherein vthe means forreceiving an electrical conductor Wire comprises at least a partiallyhollow prong with the wire extending into the prong.

4. The electrical conductor plug of claim 1 including mutuallycooperating opposing walls on the ca-p and insert between which theconductor wire is held, the said opposing walls cooperating with thewalls of the recess land the upper end of the prong to cause the wire toturn yat least two corners and thereby positively lock the wire in placewhen the insert is tightened against the cap.

5. The electrical conductor plug of claim 2 wherein the lprong isremovably received in the opening and the recess 'without soldering orother adhesive and is held in place Asolely by the walls of the opening,recess in the cap, the annular recess shoulder, and the walls of theprong.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,050,440 "8/ 1936 McFadden339-196 X 2,482,965 9/1949 Cook 339-174 2,522,341 9/1950 IBrus 1 339-1962,764,748 9/ 1956 Heller 339-196 X y3,023,394 2/1962 Hubbell f 339-174 X3,293,591 12/1966 Mayer 339-196 FOREIGN PATENTS 96,331 3/ 1924 Austria.395,830 5/1924 Germany.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Prima-ry Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 339-196

